The sea Madrid: This is the new Peruvian cevichería de Gastón Acurio in the middle of the financial heart

A branch of your Cevichería which first opened in the popular Miraflores neighborhood to expand Peruvian cuisine to cities such as San Francisco, Miami, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Santiago, Chile, Doha, Dubai or the exclusive Bellevue area in the United States. To his forehead, he will be Rodrigo Ferrerthe executive chef in which Acurio has deposited all his confidence to lead this space. The days before the inauguration, he explained that his main motivation is to move to Madrid the culinary wealth of Peru and its evolution in the world.

An aspect of which Acurio is the head of having led the great culinary revolution of his country. To the point of having made the kitchen, practically, a matter of state. To do this, Ferrer has a large place and diaphanous spaces that have decorated, inspired by the classic cevicherías of Lima, the interior designers Alba Hurlé and Alicia Martín, of the study Hurlé & Martín Responsible for the decoration of other ‘pleace to be’ of fashion such as Aarde, Le Club Sushita, Macao, Bakan and restaurants such as Cristina Oria or Barracuda MX, by Mexican Roberto Ruiz.

A bar, to (try) without reservation

The space distribution includes a barat the entrance of the premises, which is scheduled to attend those who want to try their luck to enjoy the proposal No need for reservation. Inside, and with reservation, there will be a space with low tables – some of them for small groups – and a private for those who seek intimacy.

“The main bar, of carved stone, evokes marine erosion, while the bar of ceviches, covered with greenish blue mosaics, remembers the scales of the fish,” they explain about the inspiration in the nature that the interior designers have followed to create the atmosphere of the sea. In it they dominate natural materials such as the rock, the jute, the wood of Mongoi or the bamboo.

In addition to Ceviche, the proposal with which its doors opens this restaurant is an alleged tribute of Gastón Acurio to the gastronomic wealth of Peru and the influences that have made it the queen of fusion in South America, with permanent winks to cultures such as Andean, Japanese, China, Italian and, of course, the Spanish.

“Back to Madrid is for me enormous joy,” he defended these days before the inauguration – whose party, wrapped by numerous chefs from all over Spain, was held last Wednesday, March 26. Gastón feels a very special bond with the capital, which considers a “gastronomic home.” The city that reached in the early 1990s to study law and in which it ended up registering in a hospitality school.

When he opened his first restaurant – he did it on the Paseo de la Castellana – he told the owners that an Italian was going to set up. At that time, talking about Peruvian cuisine was an exotism that nobody understood. Then, in the capital, they were only in operation The Golden Inti and The Incatwo already emblematic stores that made their way to the great revolution of this kitchen for Madrid.

As he confessed to ABC, two years ago in an interview in which his intention to have a project in Madrid, the vocation of his premises – he has more than 70 distributed throughout the world, although he participates indirectly in many others – is the one of permanence. He does not want to open fashion stores, although he predicts the expectation he has aroused throughout the sector these days, becoming one of the most pulling. At the moment, reservations for weekends are full.

The already entrepreneur rather than a cook, is present in more than a dozen countries. 4,000 families depend on their businesses, linked to their projects. The leadership of this Peruvian, son of a former minister and senator of his native country, has reached such popular levels that, for some time, was speculated that he would win the elections of Peru if he presented himself as a presidential candidate.

The truth is that few have managed to exhibit the culinary wealth of the Andean country like him. Literally, he put his kitchen on the map as his greatest ambassador, with a natural leadership that led to a group known as the ‘Tiger milk gang‘ – along with other chefs such as Héctor Solís or Virgilio Martínez, from Central (best restaurant in the world in 2023), among others.

The sea letter in Madrid: How much does it cost to eat?

The kitchen with which the sea has opened in Madrid proposes to start the experience of sitting to eat at its tables and bars with the ‘piqueos’. Appetizers ranging from some Lima croquettes of chicken chili and olive sauce –6 euros, two units– or txangurro pacifier and ocopa –8 sauce, two units. There are also winks to the Andean kitchen with ‘Papitas la Mar’, some yellow potatoes brought from Peru that are served with a huancaína and ocopa sauce – 16 euros the ration. The famous anticuchos of cow and chicken hearts are not lacking in these snacks, which are accompanied with papitas, corn and several sauces – 18 the ration.

The part Nikkeithe one that was born from the fusion of Peruvian cuisine with the Japanese, is represented by the cult of raw fish with several nigiris as protagonists: that of red tuna, hedgehog, rocoto ponzu (10 euros the unit); that of trout tartar, avocado, furikake and crispy rice (6, unity); and the Lima, made with medregal, yellow pepper sauce, chalaquita and glass gambita (7, unity). There are also oysters seasoned, tartares or dumplings – these, gamba and pig, bathed in Chupe Nikkei sauce (16) -.

Another famous dish of Peruvian cuisine, such as causeis presented with several versions: the traditional Lima, with chicken, egg and avocado (17); a Nikkei version, with red tuna tartar, egg and avocado (19); and a ‘acebichada’, with a creamy ceviche of corvina and avocado (23).

The ceviches: the star of the letter

Gastón Acurio is responsible for having democratized and valued, all over the world, the ceviche. So much so, that chefs like Dabiz Muñozof the three stars Michelin Diverxo in Madrid, honor the Peruvian with an ceviche in his menu. They represent one of the most important chapters of the letter with versions of all kinds.

For example, Creole, made with beautiful, corn pancake, avocado, yellow pepper tiger milk (24). Or the one that signed the executive chef of the sea Madrid, Rodrigo Ferrer, who carries trout of the Pyrenees, roasted avocado, nori crispy algae, Tiger milk Nikkei yellow pepper (24). Every day, the one entitled as ‘Lima’ will also be offered, made with the fresh fish of the day – each day the one -, choclo, sweet potato and milk of tiger to the top pepper. The latter is the most classic version of a ceviche.

Also, in the extensive letter, you can ask Tydites “Very fine crude fish, shellfish or cephalopods with different sauces and dressings.” For example, the ‘Bachiche’ of octopusshells, avocado and ‘acebicked’ sauce with basil (24). Or ‘southern’, with red tuna and fishing, crunchy quinoa, banana chips and smoked rocoto sauce (26).

The grill It occupies a prominent place of the proposal. The fire and smoke are touched by razors, flying and cockles that serve with Chimichurri Lima; Chipirones, Octopus and Red Gamba with Chimichurri Anticuchero; and whole fish for two diners such as lubinas (39 per person) or stripe fins (29 per person), brown in the heat of the embers and then bathed by different sauces, such as a Meunière Lima de Mantelo and citrus.

There is no lack of Creole Peruvian cuisine classics as a chicken chili Accompanied by rice with corn (26) or the rice with duck in northern Peru, with yellow pepper duck breast (29). For carnivores is the skirting spine – cow slope, Peruvian yellow papitas and rice with corn– (32). Those who diffrit from the sailor stews have the option of ordering an entire ‘sweat’ fish for two with yellow pepper, vegetables, cassava and rice with corn (34 per person).